[From the InsideNPS article by John Harlan Warren]

Two years after Hurricane Sandy flattened sand dunes and flooded New Jersey communities, local communities have begun to pivot from repair projects to long term planning against the forces of climate change. Gateway National Recreation Area’s Sandy Hook Unit hosted a workshop to prepare for the next storm—and all the other problems coastal areas will face because of changes to the planet.

Educators, environmentalists, representatives from nonprofit organizations and employees of federal, state and local government considered a wide range of adaptation strategies at “Communities and Sandy Hook Workshop: Partnering to Build Resilience to Climate Change,” held October 2 at the Sandy Hook Chapel. The workshop was made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), the organizers of the event. Partners included the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA), Rutgers University, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook Foundation and the National Park Service.

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“This workshop brought local people into the park for an energetic conversation about what is most valuable and meaningful to them about their home,” said Tim Watkins, Science and Education Coordinator with the NPS Climate Change Response Team. “They were so excited to explore how they and the park are connected to each other, and how that connection can help them and the park adapt to the effects of climate change.”